If you suspect a child care provider or service is committing fraud, you can tell us.
On this page:
What is Child Care Subsidy fraud?
Fraud means dishonestly obtaining a benefit, or causing a loss, by deception or other means. Fraud prevents public money being used for its intended purpose.
Child Care Subsidy (CCS) fraud is the dishonest administration of CCS.
CCS is the main way the Australian Government helps families with child care fees. It is generally paid to providers who pass it on to families as a fee reduction.
To get CCS, child care providers and services must follow the rules in Family Assistance Law (FAL).
If you have information related to people or child care services or providers who are not following the rules, you can report it to us anonymously.
To report concerns about the immediate safety of a child, contact your local police service.
What can I report via a tip-off?
Below is a table with examples of the types of activities we would like to hear about. This table is not exhaustive.
| FAL obligation | Examples of types of activities to report |
| Absences |
|
| Banned inducements and advertising |
|
| Claiming CCS for types of care where CCS is not payable |
|
| Gap fees |
|
| Rules for Family Day Care and In Home care providers caring for relatives |
|
| Sessions of care |
|
What about complaints or disputes?
Do not submit tip-offs for complaints or disputes about:
- CCS enrolments, payments, debts or balancing
- safety or quality.
Instead, start by discussing the matter with your child care service or provider.
If they cannot resolve the issue, you have a range of options.
CCS issues
Contact Services Australia on the Centrelink families line if you have a complaint or concern about:
- enrolments
- payments
- debts
- CCS payment balancing.
Find out more about CCS on the Services Australia website.
Child safety concerns
If you have concerns about the quality or safety of a child care service or provider, contact your state or territory regulatory authority.
Other issues
If your issue remains unresolved, complete an online contact form.
Fraud not related to child care
If you have information about suspected fraud not related to child care or CCS, visit how to report fraud.
How do I make a good tip-off?
Provide as much information as you can. Useful information includes:
- a description of the fraud or non-compliance, including when, where, and how it happened
- information about the people, services or providers involved, including:
- names
- phone numbers
- street or postal addresses
- email addresses
- social media details
- customer reference numbers
- approximate financial value of the activity.
You can also upload supporting evidence or documents when you make a tip-off.
How can I submit a tip-off?
To submit a tip-off, use our online CCS fraud tip-off form. It is anonymous and only takes a few minutes to complete.
Child Care Subsidy tip-off form
Our response
We treat all tip-offs seriously. We review and evaluate each tip-off to:
- identify who is involved
- decide if we can investigate.
Due to privacy laws, we cannot provide you with the outcome of your tip-off.
We share information with other agencies to deal with suspected fraud, where appropriate and permitted by law. We also take part in joint-agency activities, like the Fraud Fusion Taskforce.
Enforcement action
We take enforcement action against providers and services who do not comply with FAL. Enforcement action can include:
- issuing infringement notices
- imposing conditions on provider or service CCS approval
- issuing a debt
- suspending or cancelling your CCS approval
- seeking civil penalty orders
- criminal prosecution.
Read examples of previous cases of fraud and actions taken by the department.
Read more about previous enforcement actions on the enforcement action register.
Your privacy
Your personal information is protected by law, including under the Privacy Act 1988 (Privacy Act).
Read our privacy policy for more information.